- PRODUCTIVITY SURVEYS OF GEESE, SWANS, AND BRANT WINTERING IN NORTH AMERICA - 1981 ... Office of Migratory Bird Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service PRODUCTIVITY SURVEYS OF GEESE, SWANS, AND BRANT WINTERING IN NORTH AMERICA - 1981 Compiled by: James F. Voelzer Elizabeth Lauxen This report is for administrative use only and is not for publication without permission of the Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE OFFICE OF MIGRATORY BIRD MANAGEMENT COLUMBIA, MO. - 1982 • TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION . A. Atlantic Flyway Abstract 1 8 . Central and Mississippi Flyway Abstract. 1 C. New Mexico Abstract. 2 D. Pacific Flyway Abstract. 2 E. Alaska Abstract. 3 II. WATERFOWL PRODUCTIVITY SURVEYS FOR THE ATLANTIC FLYWAY, 1981 4 A. Abstract. 4 8. Narrative. 4 1. Greater Snow Geese 4 2. Atlantic Brant. 5 3. Whistling Swans. 5 4. Conclusions . .. 6 5. Reconmendations. 6 C. Tables .. 7 1. No. 1 - Greater Snow Goose Productivity Data 1981. 7 2. No. 2 - Brant Surveys - 1981-1982 ... 8 3. No. 3 - Atlantic Brant Productivity Data 1981. 9 • 4. No. 4 - Whistling Swan Productivity Data 1981 . 10 ii Page I I I. WATERFOWL PRODUCTIVITY SURVEYS FOR CENTRAL AND MISSISSIPPI FLYWAYS, 1981. 11 A. Abstract. 11 B. Narrative. 11 l. Mid-Continent Snow Geese 12 2. Mid-Continent White-fronted Geese. 12 C. RecolTlllendations. 13 D. Tables ..... 14 l . No. l - Snow Geese, 70-90 Percent Blue Phase, 1981/82, Louisiana . 14 2. No. 2 - Snow Geese, 60-65 Percent White Phase, 1981/82, Texas. 15 3. No. 3 - Snow Geese, 60-65 Percent White Phase, 1981/82, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota-aeri a 1 . 16 4. No. 4 - Snow Geese, 70-90 Percent Blue Phase, 1981/82, Early Fall, SW Louisiana ............ ... ... 17 5. No. 5 - White-fronted Geese, Eastern Segment, 1981/82, Louisiana ... ... ........ ... .... 18 6. No. 6 - White-fronted Geese, Western Segment, 1981/82, • Kansas, Texas ... ...................... 19 IV. SNOW GOOSE PRODUCTIVITY SURVEYS FOR NEW MEXICO, 1981 . 20 A. Abstract. 20 B. Narrative. 20 l . Bosque del Apache NWR. 20 2. Bitter Lake NWR .... 21 3. Mexico, S.E. Co lorado, and Texas {Panhandle) 21 a. Mexico . 21 b. S.E. Co lorado .. 22 c. Texas Panhandle. 22 C. Discussion . 22 iii Page D. Reco1T111endations ......... 23 E. Attachment 1. List of Cooperators 24 F. Tables: 1. No. 1 - New Mexico wintering snow and Ross' geese peak fall populations .......................... 25 2. No. 2 - Snow goose survey data, New Mexico, Texas, SE Colorado and Mexico Highlands . 26 3. No. 3 - Snow geese observed in the Texas Panhandle during the December and January waterfowl surveys . 27 4. No. 4 - Snow geese observed in SE Colorado, peak number, plus January and December waterfowl surveys. 28 5. No. 5 - Lesser snow goose and Ross' goose harvest, New Mexico . 29 6. No. 6 - Bosque del Apache NWR, all goose harvest . 30 7. No. 7 - Historical data - snow goose productivity surveys, New Mexico . 31 8. No. 8 - Snow goose population and age ratio data, New Mexico, 1960-1981. 32 • 9. No . 9 - 1981 Productivity survey field data at Bosque del Apache NWR . 33 10. No.10 - Age ratio and family group data - snow geese, New Mexico - 1981 (Bosque del Apache NWR). 34 11. No. 11 - 1981 productivity survey field data at Bitter Lake NWR. 35 12. No. 12 - Age ratio and family group data - snow geese, New Mexico - 1981 (Bitter Lake NWR). .. ...... 36 V. WATERFOWL PRODUCTIVITY SURVEYS FOR THE PACIFIC FLYWAY, 1981. 37 A. Abstract . 38 • B. Narrative. 38 l. Lesser Snow Geese (Wrangle Island) 38 2. Lesser Snow Geese (Western Arctic) 38 3. Ross I Geese. 39 iv Page 4. White-fronted Geese. 39 5. Tule Geese ... 39 6. Trumpeter Swans. 39 • 7. Whistling Swans. 39 8. Recomnendations. 40 C. Attachment 1. List of Cooperators 41 D. Tables: 1. No. 1 - Snow goose age ratio data, Freeze-out Lake, MT, 1981 . 42 2. No. 2 - Snow goose age ratio dat, Sacramento NWR, CA, 1981 . 42 3. No. 3 - Snow goose age ratio data, Los Banos Wildlife Area, CA, 1981 . 43 4. No. 4 - White-fronted goose age ratio and family group data, Tule Lake NWR, CA, 1981 . 43 5. No. 5 - Trumpeter swan age ratio data, 1981. 44 6. No. 6 - Whistling swan age ratio data, UT, 1981. 44 7. No. 7 - Whistling swan family group counts, UT, 1981 45 ·. VI. WATERFOWL PRODUCTIVITY SURVEYS, ALASKA, 1981 46 A. Abstract . 46 B. Narrative. 47 1. Black Brant. 47 2. Trumpeter Swan 48 3. Emperor Goose .. 48 4. Cackling Canada Goose. 49 5. Dusky Canada Goose 49 C. References 50 D. Attachment 1. List of Cooperators 51 V Page E. Tables: 1. No . 1 - Black Brant - Clutch and Brood Sizes . 53 .. 2. No. 2 - Black Brant - Fall Productivity Counts 54 3 . No. 3 - Sample Alaska Trumpeter Swan Observations for 44 Maps (19% of Habitat). 55 4. No. 4 - Sample Alaska Trumpeter Swan Summary Data for 44 Maps (19% of Habitat). 56 5. No. 5 - Alaska Trumpeter Swan Survey Samples for 1981. 56 6. No. 6 - Emperor Goose - Clutch and Brood Sizes . 57 7. No. 7 - Emperor Goose - Fall Productivity Counts 58 8. No. 8 - Cackling Canada Goose - Clutch and Brood Sizes 59 9. No. 9 - Dusky Canada Goose - Breeding Ground Survey. 60 • vi 1 PRODUCTIVITY SURVEYS OF GEESE, SWANS, AND BRANT WINTERING IN NORTH AMERICA - 1981 Reproductions of abstracts for each area are shown below for quick reference. Details of individual surveys may be found in the body of this report (see Table of Contents). Any questions with regard to selected species or areas should be directed to the individual coordinators listed below: l. Atlantic F1 way - Mr. James R. Goldsberry, Flyway Biologist, Patuxent Wi 1dlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, Maryland 20811 2. Central and Mississippi Flyways - Mr. Arthur R. Brazda, Flyway Biologist, U.S . Fish and Wildlife Service, Municipal Airport, Lafayette, Louis iana 70509 3. New Mexico - Mexico - Mr. James F. Voelzer, Flyway Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 700 Cherry St., Suite D, Columbia, Missouri 65201 4. Pacific Flyway - Mr. Carey S. Smith, Flyway Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lloyd 500 Building, Suite 1692, 500 NE Multnomah St., Portland, Oregon 97232 5. Alaska - Mr. Bruce Conant , Wildlife Biologist, Waterfowl C Investigations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Box 1287, Juneau, Alaska 99802 Atlantic Flyway Abstract - Productivity surveys in the Atlantic flyway of greater snow geese, Atlantic brant, and whistling swans were conducted in November 1981 . Results indicate a decline in production for snow geese and brant, and an increase for whistling swan. Survey results for snow geese show 17.0% juveniles and 2.0 young per family compared to 36.4% juveniles and 2.7 young per family in 1980. Brant results indicate 17.9% young-of-the-year and an average brood size of 2.4 compared to 33.7% juveniles and 2.6 young per family in 1980. Swan data show 30.2% juveniles and 2.3 young per family compared to 10.5% juveniles and a mean brood size of 1.8 in 1980 . Central and Mississippi Flyway Abstract - Productivity records from Louisiana wintering snow geese, which are predominantly blue phase, indicated 20.7% juveniles with an average young/family of l .57 . • Data obtained from the snow geese that winter in Texas, where the white phase is more prevalent, revealed 34 .6% were juveniles and an average brood size of 1.83. The eastern segment of white-fronted geese, which winter primarily in Louisiana, indicated 38.4% were juveniles with an average number of young/ family of 2.00. 2 Data for the western segment of whitefronts, wintering in Texas and central Mexico, indicated 29.3% were juveniles. The average young/family was 2.73 . .. New Mexico Abstract - Comprehensive productivity surveys of snow geese wintering in New Mexico continued in 1981 for the fifth consecutive year. At Bosque del Apache NWR, a total of 5,107 records were obtained from a refuge population of 28,000 white geese. Weighted survey results indicate 19% juveniles with an average number of young per family of 2.00. Blue phase birds comprised 2% of the total population. Fowl cholera, which was encountered initially in 1980, accounted for a loss of approximately 150 snow geese and 50 ducks in 1981. The peak white goose population was reached on 4 December 1981 when 28,000 geese were recorded. Surveys of snow geese at Bitter Lake NWR were conducted between 16 November and 13 December . A total of 1,656 samples were obtained from a varying refuge population. Weighted results indicated 37% young-of-the-year, and an average brood size of 1.79. Blue phase birds totaled 2% of the population. The peak population of white geese was noted 13 November when 30,000 birds were tallied. Movement of snow and (probably) Ross' geese in southeast Colorado and the Texas panhandle confonned to traditional patterns. Pacific Flyway Abstract - Results of the 1981 Productivity Surveys in the Pacific Flyway as compared to 1980 data are as follows: Average Number Percent Young Young/Family Species 1980 1981 1980 1981 Lesser snow geese (Wrangle Island) Alaska 38.0 Washington 11.0-23.0 34.4-49.5 Lesser snow geese (Western Arctic) Alaska 7.4 Montana 24.4 California 23.0-29. l 20.9-31.7 1. 98 White-fronted geese • California 26.2 26.3 2. 18 1.85 Tule geese Alaska 13 .8 34.0 California 33.8 37.0 3 {Pacific Flyway Abstract Continued . ) • Average Number Percent Young Young/Family • Species 1980 1981 1980 1981 Trumpeter swan Montana 1.8 18.8 Wyoming 7.5 24.2 Idaho 12.0 22.5 Whistling swans Alaska 26 .4 2.09 Utah 28.4 25.2 2.32 2.11 A1 a s ka Abstract- Black brant - a below average year Average clutch size 3.57 North Slope Average clutch size 3.57}- Nesting success 71.7% Yukon-Kuskokwim Average brood size {Class I) 3.01 Fall counts 18 .6% young ~ 2.80 avg.